I was invited to photograph some Pelote Basque matches. This is the bare hands game (although they do have band aids around the fingers, I can tell you that hitting the ball REALLY REALLY hurts), which is the slowest yet most physical in terms of running about.

You obviously don't see it live, but after looking at the pictures we couldn't get over how much this guy bent his arm backward. Even he was surprised !!

[moderator edit: This is the On Assignment thread - only one image is allowed in this month's Assignment. You have posted three - please re-post only one. LahLahSr]

[Super-moderator edit: Bob let me know I screwed up with this one (thanks Bob) - you CAN submit three images just as you did mattyb - I apologize to you and anyone else looking and rolling their eyes - this month's assignment allows 3 entries. Please re-post them all. LahLahSr]

To see larger images and the originals, replace the S by M or L or O in the link.

A craftsman at work gearing up fo a big festivity in Bengal - India.
The whole situation looks unnatural... the man almost getting bitten by the clay lion, the demon trying to smack on his head from behind and he unperturbedly working on the Elephant God - Ganesha.

Moereki on the East coast of New Zealand's South Island is famous for the large, spherical boulders on its beach. These look quite other-worldly, like giant alien eggs, so when passing through this weekend, I thought them a perfect subject for this month's assignment!